WARNERS FINDS 'TERMINATOR: SALVATION' DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS; EARLY '08 START DATE SET (VAR)

By Nancy Vialatte

Warner Bros. has acquired North American distribution rights to �Terminator: Salvation: The Future Begins.� After producing �Terminator 3,� Warners had first dibs on the fourth pic and in taking it, says Variety, has dashed MGM's hopes of corralling the film.

An early 2008 production start is set for the film which has a storyline to be told over a three-pic span. Warners plans to distribute "Terminator Salvation" in summer 2009.

The "Terminator" pic franchise got a new lease on life in spring, when privately funded Halcyon and its co-CEOs Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson teamed with "Terminator 3" exec producer Moritz Borman to acquire film, merchandising and licensing rights from ex-Carolco partners Andy Vajna and Mario Kassar. Kubicek, Anderson and Borman are producing the new film, with Peter D. Graves as exec producer.

Halcyon sued MGM in July, claming the distributor was interfering with its distribution plans on the fourth "Terminator" film on the basis of an MGM claim that it had acquired an exclusive 30-day negotiating window.

The producers said that the new film will carry the size and scale of "Terminator 3," and will have an event-sized budget. It will likely be less than the $200 million pricetag of "Terminator 3," which was saddled with extravagant costs that included above the line payouts, rights payments and heavy fees incurred through a complex financial structure.

WB's commitment has solidified the financing structure, the producers said. For overseas distribution, Sony Pictures Entertainment is expected to get first crack, says Variety. Several other territories are spoken for, including Japan, where Toho-Towa is expected to distribute once again.

A screenplay has been completed by "Terminator 3" scribes John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and industry buzz has "Charlie's Angels" director McG as the odds-on favorite to helm.

The first two "Terminator" films, directed by James Cameron, used contemporary settings to pit Sarah and John Connor against indestructible cyborgs. "T3" was also set in the present day and ended just as the machines initiated a nuclear apocalypse. "Terminator Salvation" was deliberately not given a number after its title, because Halcyon is eager to make it clear that the fourth film heads into an entirely different setting.

"This is set in the future, in a full-scale war between Skynet and humankind," Anderson told Variety.

Borman said: "The third film was really the conclusion of what happened in the 'now.' You will find the most-loved characters, but the intention here is to present a fresh new world and have this be the first of a trilogy."

The producers said it wasn't yet clear whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back for his fourth appearance in the franchise that launched his movie career. "T3" was the last film in which he starred before becoming governor of California.

"We've left it open for him to maybe do a cameo," Borman said. "He has an important job, as we know, and the final decision will be based on his desire and availability, along with what the director wants."